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Published: 5 November 2025 | Last updated: 24 September 2026
The UK maths curriculum is changing. The Curriculum and Assessment Review (2025) sets out a clear direction of travel, and it has direct implications for how we plan, teach and prepare students for GCSE Maths.
If you lead maths or teach KS3 and KS4, this matters now. In this post, I’ve broken down what the review actually says and what it means in practice for your department.
A new national report has been published that will shape the future of maths education. The Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report, led by Professor Becky Francis and published in November 2025, offers a clear-eyed analysis of what’s working and what needs to change.
For leaders of mathematics, this Maths Curriculum Review 2025 provides both validation of long-standing challenges and a roadmap for potential government policy. Here are the key takeaways for secondary maths departments, with a focus on what will actually change in classrooms.
Looking for ready-to-teach lessons aligned with these priorities? Explore the Mr Mathematics Curriculum Hub, a complete library of lessons, revision resources and schemes of work.
The report begins by celebrating the strengths of maths education in England, including strong international performance and the growing popularity of A-Level Maths.
However, it highlights a critical and persistent issue: a significant number of students are being left behind. The data confirms that 31% of all students do not achieve a Grade 4 in GCSE Maths by age 16. For disadvantaged pupils, this figure rises to 54%. The report also notes that the current post-16 resit system has had limited success in helping these students catch up.
For those of us in secondary education, the Maths Curriculum Review 2025 identifies three critical areas.
Too much content is introduced too quickly in primary school. As a result, KS3 becomes a “catch-up phase” rather than a progression phase, which limits opportunities for deeper reasoning and problem-solving.
Gaps in number fluency and proportional reasoning are the single biggest barrier to GCSE success. Students who struggle to reason proportionally are significantly less likely to achieve a Grade 4.
Key Stage 3 is now positioned as the critical phase for building confidence with algebraic notation and reasoning alongside proportional reasoning, but only if students arrive secure in core number skills.
Planning for GCSE under the new direction? Browse structured revision lessons by topic and grade in the GCSE Maths Revision Hub. Each lesson includes a presentation, worksheet and exam-style practice, ready to teach.
So what does this mean in practice? The Maths Curriculum Review 2025 points towards four likely shifts in policy and classroom emphasis.
The government is advised to reorganise the content from Years 1–9. The goal is to allow for deeper mastery of fundamentals in primary school, creating space for more complex problem-solving in KS3.
A significant proposal is a new, non-statutory assessment in Year 8. This is designed as a tool for teachers to identify and address knowledge gaps before students begin their GCSE courses.
The report states that mathematical concepts must be introduced first in maths lessons. Application in other subjects, such as financial education in Citizenship, should follow afterwards.
It is recommended that Key Stage 2 tests are updated to align with a re-sequenced curriculum, placing a stronger emphasis on mental arithmetic and reasoning.
This review reinforces a clear direction: less rushing, more depth, and a stronger focus on number and reasoning.
Identifying gaps is only the first step. Students who are falling behind also need someone keeping a close eye on their effort, behaviour and homework, and parents who know what is happening. Our free maths report card templates give your department a simple two-week system for this, with letters home at the start and end of the report.
If you’re planning your curriculum or preparing Year 11 for exams, now is the time to adapt. Start with structured lessons and revision resources in the Curriculum Hub.
Staying informed on these recommendations is key, as they are likely to influence national policy and resource development in the coming years. You can read the full report on GOV.UK: Curriculum and Assessment Review Final Report.
Build a complete and coherent teaching sequence with structured lessons, worksheets and question generators.
👉 Explore the Curriculum Hub to find lessons by topic and key stage.
👉 Visit the GCSE Revision Hub for topic-based revision lessons.
👉 Join Mr Mathematics for full access to all lessons, resources and schemes of work.
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